Lithium cylindrical cell configured for direct electrode-separator contact

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024055727-A1
Application number	US-202318203558-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 30, 2023
Priority date	Aug 9, 2022
Publication date	Feb 15, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A lithium-sulfur cylindrical cell. The cell includes a cylindrical shell defining an inner volume, and a jelly roll disposed within the inner volume. The jelly roll includes an anode comprising lithium, where the anode is configured as a freestanding assembly. Additionally, the jelly roll comprises a cathode comprising sulfur. Further, the jelly roll comprises a first separator between a first side of the anode and a first side of the cathode. In cylindrical cell formats, the jelly roll comprises a windable second separator. As the jelly roll is wound, the second separator may come in direct contact with both a second side of the anode and with a second side of the cathode. Alternatively, as the jelly roll is wound, the second separator may come in direct contact with the second side of the anode and with a cathode current collector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A battery comprising:
a cylindrical shell defining an inner volume; and a jelly roll disposed within the inner volume of the cylindrical shell, the jelly roll comprising:
an anode comprising lithium, wherein the anode is configured as a freestanding assembly,
a cathode comprising sulfur, a first separator between a first side of the anode and a first side of the cathode, and
a second separator in direct contact with a second side of the anode and with a second side of the cathode.

2 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the anode consists essentially of pure lithium.

3 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises a lithium alloy including one or more of sulfur, magnesium, aluminum, alumina, lithium titanate, lithium lanthanum zirconium oxide (LLZO), calcium, tellerium, silicon, tin, zinc, or nickel.

4 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the jelly roll includes a current collector.

5 . The battery of claim 4 , wherein the current collector comprises at least one of copper, or nickel.

6 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the jelly roll comprises an assembly, wherein the assembly excludes copper.

7 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises a lithium-magnesium anode.

8 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises a pure lithium anode.

9 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises one of a lithium metal alloy anode, or a lithium composite anode.

10 . The battery of claim 1 , further comprising copper inlays within the jelly roll for tab welding.

11 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first separator or the second separator is a carrier film for the anode.

12 . The battery of claim 1 , further comprising an electrolyte disposed in the battery.

13 . The battery of claim 12 , wherein the electrolyte is configured to inhibit transport of lithium-containing polysulfide intermediate species from the cathode to the anode.

14 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the anode is a solid lithium layer, and a current collector is coupled to the anode.

15 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the jelly roll is wound using one or more mandrels.

16 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein a top surface of the jelly roll is not in contact with a top lid of the cylindrical shell.

17 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein a bottom surface of the jelly roll is at least partially in contact with a negative contact surface of the cylindrical shell.

18 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein a casing of the battery is formed from one or more of aluminum or steel.

19 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein a positive terminal of the battery is welded to a current collector electrically coupled to the cathode, and a negative contact surface is welded to a current collector coupled to the anode.

20 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises an alloy selected to surpass a minimum shear strength, where the minimum shear strength surpasses 50 N/cm2.

21 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the anode is an alloy selected to surpass a minimum mechanical strength, where the minimum mechanical strength surpasses 160 N/cm2.

22 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first separator or the second separator are configured for ion flow.

23 . The battery of claim 1 , further comprising an inlay comprising copper, where the inlay is one of a vertical strip or a horizontal strip.

24 . The battery of claim 23 , wherein the vertical strip is stamped into the anode, and the horizontal strip is inlayed within the anode.

25 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the anode functions as a current collector.

26 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the anode consists of pure lithium, and at least one of the first separator or the second separator include a carrier film, wherein the carrier film increases the tensile strength of the pure lithium.

27 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the anode is a lithium alloy, and at least one of the first separator or the second separator do not include a carrier film.

28 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical shell has a diameter in a range from approximately 18.4 millimeter (mm) to approximately 18.6 mm and a length in a range from approximately 65.1 mm to approximately 65.3 mm.

29 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical shell is congruent with an 18560 cell.

30 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the anode or the cathode does not include a tab.

31 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the freestanding assembly is a substrate-less electrode.

32 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the freestanding assembly is a copper-free assembly.

33 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the anode lacks a separate layer for a current collector.

34 . The battery of claim 1 , wherein the lithium functions as a current collector.

Assignees

• Lyten Inc

Inventors

• Bell Jeffrey
• Tuncer Engin
• Favors Zach
• Taing Brandan
• Baucom Jesse

Classifications

• H01M50/46 Primary

  Separators, membranes or diaphragms characterised by their combination with electrodes · CPC title

• H01M50/107

  having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic (H01M50/103, H01M50/109, H01M50/11 take precedence) · CPC title

• H01M50/119

  Metals · CPC title

• H01M50/497

  Ionic conductivity · CPC title

• H01M50/566

  by welding, soldering or brazing · CPC title